A SELECTION OF MY ARTISTS BOOKS FROM 2010 - 2011
The River City (Eyewitness Document) 2011
The River City (Eyewitness Document) 2011
Book made of five concertinas sewn together
Manipulated digital photographs on Fabriano and Canson paper.
(Disaster Series No 1)
6.5 x 9 x 25.5 cm, 1.5 metres opened. Edition of 3
Private Collection, New York, USA,
State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
Artspace Mackay Qld.
Brisbane is known as 'The River City'. In January 2011 the river broke its banks and flooded many areas of the city. The overwhelming images that remain with residents are the brown muddy water, the thick sticky mud left behind when the water receded and the piles of muddy debris which had once been people's possessions. Photographs were taken by the artist in the Yeronga/Fairfield
area and the book is an overall expression of these images. The residual mud and muddy household objects are contained within the book just as they were submerged within the expanding river.
Beautiful one day, Blown away the Next 2011
Circular concertina flag book
Manipulated digital prints on Arches paper
5.5 x 19 x 9 cm. 38 cm diameter
The Disaster Series No 2
Books on Books Private Collection, Oxford, UK
Cyclone Yasi damaged North Queensland in January 2011. The flags are made from manipulated photographs of damaged and windblown trees, houses and boats, and have been cut and tattered on the ends. They are pale ghostly blue suggesting they are being seen through the poor visibility of strong wind and pouring rain. The circular form represents the shape of the cyclone as seen on meteorological maps. The inner flags overlap each other and twist in a circle, becoming more widely spaced and scattered towards the outer edge suggestive of the movement from the eye of the cyclone.
Shattered in the Shaky City 2011
Adapted Flag Book
Manipulated digital photographs on Fabriano Artistico paper, Japanese paper cover
24 x 10.5 x 2 cm. Disaster Series No. 3
Collection of Bodleian Library, Oxford, UK
This disaster is the earthquake in Christchurch in February 2011.
The structure suggests the aftermath of the earthquake and also the idea of the population
being shattered by the experience as well as the buildings. The text is disjointed and is
slipping down into the base of the book like piles of rubble on the ground.
Tsunami 2011
Whirlwind book with Japanese stab binding
Sumi Ink on Japanese paper 23 cm high wrapped in a leather roll
Disaster Series No 4
Books on Books Private Collection, Oxford, UK
Referring to the tsunami in Japan, the whirlwind structure of the book is suggestive of the water rolling in over the countryside. The book uses Japanese materials and Japanese minimalism.
Illuminations XII: Fragments of the Book Leaf 2011
Adapted Secret Belgian binding in perspex with book page fragments suspended by fishing line.
The book page fragments are of perspex, engraved and illuminated with Vitrea and acrylic paint.
Unique book measuring 20 x 10 x 2 cm.
Books on Books Private collection.
Based on Arthur Rimbaud's ''Illuminations'' (42 prose poems) focusing on ''Sentences and Fragments
of the book leaf. Rimbaud was a precursor of Surrealism and his sentences and fragments
evoke images through immediate personal associations like in a dream.
There are references to illumination as in flashes of insight, light itself, stained glass
and book illumination. The suspension of these transparent book page fragments suggests
the fragments falling from the book, but also the intangible quality of a dream
and connections could be made randomly betweeen them, enhancing Rimbaud's
idea which was restricted by the need for some order on the printed page.
Fragments of the Book Leaf 2011
Adapted Secrete Belgian Binding in perspex with book page fragments with text of
transfer lettering. The fragments are suspended by fishing line.
Unique book measuring 20x12x2 cm.
Books on Books private collection.
The text of Arthur Rimbaud's ''Illuminations'' No 12 ''Sentences and Fragments of the book leaf''
has been fragmented to negate the need for order on a printed page, thus enhancing the intention of evoking images through personal associations. This suggests the intangible quality and random connections of a dream.
Silence is not Golden 2011
Concertina book with inserted 3D mouths which open and close with the movement of the page.
Fabriano and Canson Papers, gouache, Lamali paper cover. 36 x 11.5 x 4 cm.
Artists own collection
This book is about the concealed silence of the oppressed and abused in our society,
and the chosen silence of those who do not speak out for people with no freedom of speech.
Political and social oppression and abuse survives through silence as victims
are unable to speak out for fear of persecution or punishment.
The Thirty Six views of the Eiffel Tower 2011
Simplified binding with Indian Ink drawings and leather onlays.
Manipulated digital photographs on Fabriano paper
21 x 15 x 2 cm. and 26 x 19.5 x 2 cm. 2 unique versions.
Artists own collection
Inspired by Henri Riviere's book of lithographs from 1902 titled Les Trente-six vues de la Tour Eiffel.
In Paris I set out to investigate Riviere's locations to discover how many still existed and still offered a view of the tower and how much the Eiffel Tower dominated the skyline in 2011.
Many of the locations had disappeared or had been renamed and many of them no longer
offered even a glimpse of the tower. Those that I was able to reproduce are presented in this book with a selection of the many views that I discovered myself while working on the project.
The Pleasure of the Text 2011
Codex form with exposed sewing on raised rolled leather cords,
Cover of Lamali paper. 26 x 18 x 1.5 cm.
Private collection
An abstract visual interpretation of a text inspired by literary theory of writerly 'jouissance'.
O is for Opus 2011
Concertina book forming a circle, made of Lamali paper and ink.
12.5 x 8 x 3 cm.
Artists own collection
The shape of an O suggesting an Elizabethan ruff or collar, this book contains the titles
of Shakespeare's complete works.
Textes Textures 2010
Sculptural books constructed from folded Fabriano and Canson papers
Each book measures 18 x 4 x 3 cm.
Collection of Jack Oudyn
The textured blue and white 3D surfaces of these opened books
suggest abstract texts integrated into the pages.
Alpha - Omega 2010
Small book structure with sculptural centre linking the two pages.
Gouache, digital print, on Arches paper with Japanese paper cover.
17 x 8 x 1.5 cm.
Artists own collection
The book refers to the beginning and the end of the universe according to science.
The words Alpha and Omega are from the bible and are presented in the style of a sacred device (with similarities to Graffiti). The words also refer to the big bang and the big crunch, the first being presented as blue with the formation of many stars, whereas the big crunch is in total black and nothingness. They are intertwined three-dimensionally with a quote from The End of the World by Archibald McLeish - There in the sudden blackness the sudden pall of nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing at all.
Calligraffiti 2010
Buckram covered box with hanging letters of Canson and Arches paper
Chinese Ink and Linen thread
46 x 7.5 x 6.5 cm
Artists own collection
